Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9:30am-4pm Mon, Tue & Thu, to 12:30pm Fri)
Free internet ac-
cess.
Getting There & Around
Heading west from Hanapepe leads you right into town. No taxi services run out of
Waimea, but if you're in a jam
Pono Taxi and Kauai Tours
(
634-4744;
www.ponotaxi.com
; per mile $3 plus per min 40¢)
will service the entire island.
Lihuʻe line runs hourly from about 5:30am to 8:30pm. From Lihuʻe you can transfer for
buses that run to the South and North Shores.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Kekaha
POP 3537
Home to many military families, there's no town center here, but Kekaha Beach Park of-
fers one of the most beautiful sunsets on the island. If you're looking for a town with a
scenic beach near the base of Waimea Canyon, this is nice. It is, however, well removed
from the action and too remote for some.
Kekaha is an old working-class sugar town turned military town, with a decommis-
sioned old sugar mill at its heart and some stunning beach houses dotting the highway on
the way to
Kekaha Beach Park
, now officially known as
Westside's MacArthur Park
.
Set just west of town, this long fringe of powdery white sand was once ideal for running,
walking or beachcombing. These days it depends upon the tides. In the last year alone,
the southern edge of the beach has completely eroded, and they've had to move the life-
guard tower three times.
Of course, the sea (read: waves) is the big draw. Before jumping in, find a lifeguard
and make sure it's OK, as the sea lacks the reef protection other beaches provide. When
the surf is high, currents are extremely dangerous. Under the right conditions, however, it
can be excellent for surfing and bodyboarding. The breaks here are known as
David-
son's
(at the east end of town) and
Intersections
at the northwest side of town. David-
son's is a good, crumbling beginner wave, susceptible to on-shore winds. Always re-
member to respect the locals who value the loneliness of this far out break, which pumps
when either the North or South swells hit and wrap west. Locals call it
wrapping
and
brag that Kekaha and nearby Polihale get as much as 350 days of surfing. North Shore
